Search

So, this past weekend was my birthday. Not a milestone or anything exciting, but it did give me the excuse to eat at several awesome restaurants. The first of which was Toro Sushi . . . now, I will preface this post by saying it will probably sound like a paid advertisement for Toro Sushi – but it’s not. This is just an actual, genuine endorsement. Toro Sushi is so good, you’ll slap your own face. Then you’ll turn to the person you’re with – and slap their face. And by the time you leave, you’ll be slapped silly!

I need to update my running list of favorite sushi places, because Toro Sushi has just made a bee line for the top spot. Toro Sushi is the BEST sushi in Chicago. No other sushi here in the Windy City really compares. It’s that good – and I’m not lying. I promise. I went with some friends who happened to be Toro Sushi regulars. I myself had never been before this past weekend. I’ve heard some several different people around town that it’s the best. And it’s here in my neighborhood – a super-tiny restaurant and every time I walk by, it’s always (ALWAYS) packed out, with something like a 45 min-to-an-hour wait. So I’ve just never been. But these friends know the place well – they put their name in and walked to a wine bar nearby for a quick drink and by the time we met up with them, it was already time for to be seated – perfect timing!

Long story not-so-short, we were seated and the ordering commenced. Our friends, being the experts that they were, had great recommendations and we ordered a slew of rolls like it was the last sushi to be had. Here’s what we ordered:

The MJ

The Sunny

Awesome

El Fuego

Some kind of spider roll (can’t remember the name – or was this the Awesome roll? I can’t remember)

Bento Box

2 orders edamame

1 seafood salad

Sunny Roll

We pretty much split everything – and it was all AMAZING – my favorite was either the MJ or the Sunny and it was probably the Sunny. This place is apparently known for using more non-traditional sushi ingredients – the Sunny had sunflower seeds – they were ground up and it gave the roll a hearty, nutty, slightly salty flavor that melted in my mouth and sent me clean over the edge. All of the rolls were creative, with different sorts of ingredients – with cool presentation for the rolls we ordered.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the rolls were their specialty. There’s a set variety of sushi rolls that I’ll choose from different restaurants, like the negi hamachi, soft shell crab, some sort of spicy hot roll, usually named volcano something-or-other. All pretty pedestrian stuff once you know your way around a sushi menu.

One thing I normally don’t care for is sashimi – however, I’m guessing because our friends were regulars, the chef, Mitch (also the owner) sent over a sampler of sashimi. There were slices of yellow tail, salmon and tuna. I tried one of each – they were all super-fresh and tender. Not what I usually go for, but most definitely appreciated.

Sashimi Bonus!

It was also this extra little bit that made fall in love even more. For all I know those slices of sashimi could have been left over from other rolls – but the fact that the chef was kind enough to share with us, even with such a crowded house all around, made a difference and I was thoroughly impressed. Also, the place is BYOB – does it get any better than that?? As far as prices, they’re definitely comparable – I would say most of the rolls were in the $8-$12 range (I hope I’m remembering that correctly). For the quality – it’s a damn good deal. Toro Sushi is definitely a local place – not big and splashy like some of the more touristy spots here in Chicago, and seemingly proud of their waay-to-small seating space. But, does it compare to the hype of any of those other restaurants? All that and more. Is it worth the wait? And, how!

about me

my name is bill peeler and I'm a southerner living in chicago. i love cooking, eating + drinking, exploring chicago, good music and digital media. but not necessarily in that order. but close to that order.
-----------------------------
thanks for stopping by.
-----------------------------
this blog is still trying to find its place. shoot me an email and lemme know what you think.

Subscribe to GITC

Enter your email address to follow Grazing in the City and receive notifications of new posts by email.